The association
Pour l’instant
The history of the Villa Pérochon was built on the foundations of the “Europe d’art d’art” event organized by the City of Niort from 1989 to 1993: a joyous gathering of European artists from all disciplines – including photography, of course – scattered around the public space to create.
To run and supervise the much-needed photo lab, the town called on Patrick Delat (then director of a socio-cultural center). He was soon joined by a number of Niort locals with a passion for photography, who formed a collective around the “photo workshop”. Patrick Delat came up with the idea of bringing in established photographers to exchange ideas with the young artists. The Rencontres de la jeune photographie was born!
RPE
When, in 1993, the city decided to put an end to the event, the collective formed an association, Pour l’Instant, with Sylviane Van de Moortele as president and Patrick Delat, a volunteer but the real linchpin of the project. The main purpose of the association is to organize an annual artists’ residency for photographers, based on the principle of the presence of an artistic advisor (a renowned photographer) and technical assistance for the laboratory and image production. From the outset, the project was supported by the Mayor of Niort, Bernard Bellec, and his teams (including Michel Selitski and Pascale Bouet). The Rencontres Photographiques d’Été was born in the summer of 1994, on the model still in use today.
The RJPI
In 2008, to mark its fifteenth anniversary, the event changed its name to the current Rencontres de la jeune photographie internationale. Rencontres de la jeune photographie internationale – the RJPI – gradually extending the residency period from eight to twenty days. The project moves forward, with some good years and others less propitious, allowing us to develop other activities aimed at the Niort public (workshops, exhibitions, school visits, etc.). The Rencontres remain at the heart of the project, rallying around them the volunteers who are always so committed to their realization. The notion of a festival is emerging, with exhibitions in the city before and after the residency. And then… there’s the international opening beyond Europe; the equipping of the photo lab with digital equipment for image production, leading to the creation of the Photo Corner in 2006.
An art center
On April 13, 2013, the Villa Pérochon opened the doors to its refurbished garden level, reception pavilion and garden, in the presence of a host of VIPs. This was the occasion to seal the quadripartite agreement between the State, the Region, the City and the association. Thesalaried team expanded, with Patrick Delat taking over as artistic director. New private partners also arrived. Two years later, Jérôme Baloge’s new municipal team, led by Christelle Chassagne as deputy mayor in charge of culture, affirms the community’s commitment to supporting the project. In 2018, the association is awarded the label “Centre d’art contemporain d’intérêt national” (Cacin) by the French Ministry of Culture. For the 25th anniversary of the RJPI, Olivier Nappey succeeds Sylviane Van de Moortele as president of the association. The floors of the building, renovated by the City of Niort, are used to house the Photo Corner, and to expand the photographic-art library.
In June 2024, Philippe Guionie is appointed director of the art center.
